Statement by Donald Grant, Minister of Education in the Western Cape

“We are pleased by the decision of the Cape High Court to award the Western Cape Education Department an interdict against 10 respondents following disruptions at Ludwe Ngamlana earlier this week,” said Western Cape Minister for Education Donald Grant on Friday (5 February 2010).

The 10 respondents include members from the Khayelitsha Education Trust and restrains the them from:

• Unlawfully blocking access to the school premises of Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School.
• Intimidating and/or attacking any educator, school governing body representative, learners and/or their parents of Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School.
• Preventing and/or denying access to the said school premises by the current Acting Principal, and/or her teaching and non-teaching staff members of the said primary school and/ or any legitimate learner of the said primary school, and/or their parents, by inter alia, causing damage to any property of Ludwe Ngamlana.
• From locking the access gates to the school and/or preventing the aforestated person and/or persons and/or learner and/or their parents from entering the said primary school premises.
• unlawfully gathering and/or causing an unlawful gathering within a perimeter of 300 meteres of the Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School
• Interfering with any duties of the educators or members of the current school governing body.

The interdict also compels the respondents to take all necessary steps to inform and communicate with its members and those other persons acting under them and/or in concert with them, the contents of the interdict.

“Given that the situation at the school remains volatile, we felt that there was a need to obtain an interdict to ensure that the security of educators and learners is guaranteed,” said Grant.

“I again appeal to all concerned to put the best interests of the learners first and to ensure that learning is able to take place in a peaceful and secure environment.”

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za